| 1 | Fun. | We Are Young [feat. Janelle Monáe] | Some Nights (2012) |
| 2 | Gotye | Somebody That I Used to Know [feat. Kimbra] | Making Mirrors (2011) |
| 3 | Alex Clare | Too Close | The Lateness of the Hour (2011) |
| 4 | Linkin Park | Burn It Down | Living Things (2012) |
| 5 | The Lumineers | Ho Hey | The Lumineers (2012) |
| 6 | Muse | Madness | The 2nd Law (2012) |
| 7 | Neon Trees | Everybody Talks | Picture Show (2012) |
| 8 | Mumford & Sons | I Will Wait | Babel (2012) |
| 9 | Grouplove | Tongue Tied | Never Trust a Happy Song (2011) |
| 10 | M83 | Midnight City | Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (2011) |
| 11 | The Black Keys | Lonely Boy | El Camino (2011) |
| 12 | Of Monsters and Men | Little Talks | My Head Is an Animal (2012) |
| 13 | Fun. | Some Nights | Some Nights (2012) |
| 14 | Imagine Dragons | It’s Time | Night Visions (2012) |
| 15 | Awolnation | Sail | Megalithic Symphony (2011) |
| 16 | Coldplay | Paradise | Mylo Xyloto (2011) |
| 17 | Rise Against | Satellite | Endgame (2011) |
| 18 | Walk the Moon | Anna Sun | Walk the Moon (2012) |
| 19 | No Doubt | Push and Shove | Push and Shove (2012) |
| 20 | Foo Fighters | Walk | Wasting Light (2011) |
| 21 | The Black Keys | Little Black Submarines | El Camino (2011) |
| 22 | The Killers | Runaways | Battle Born (2012) |
| 23 | Passion Pit | Take a Walk | Gossamer (2012) |
| 24 | Jack White | Freedom at 21 | Blunderbuss (2012) |
| 25 | Linkin Park | I’ll Be Gone | Living Things (2012) |
| 26 | The Dirty Heads | Spread Too Thin | Cabin by the Sea (2012) |
| 27 | Foster the People | Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls) | Torches (2011) |
| 28 | Green Day | Oh Love | ¡Uno! (2012) |
| 29 | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis | Thrift Shop [feat. Wanz] | The Heist (2012) |
| 30 | The Black Keys | Gold on the Ceiling | El Camino (2011) |
| 31 | Slightly Stoopid | Top of the World | Top of the World (2012) |
| 32 | Florence + the Machine | Shake It Out | Ceremonials (2011) |
| 33 | Foo Fighters | These Days | Wasting Light (2011) |
| 34 | Youngblood Hawke | We Come Running | Non-album Single (2012) [Later on Wake Up (2013)] |
| 35 | Fun. | Carry On | Some Nights (2012) |
| 36 | The Offspring | Days Go By | Days Go By (2012) |
| 37 | Alabama Shakes | Hold On | Boys & Girls (2012) |
| 38 | Bush | The Sound of Winter | The Sea of Memories (2011) |
| 39 | Silversun Pickups | Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings) | Neck of the Woods (2012) |
| 40 | The Gaslight Anthem | “45” | Handwritten (2012) |
| 41 | Grouplove | Itchin’ on a Photograph | Never Trust a Happy Song (2011) |
| 42 | Rise Against | Wait for Me | Endgame (2011) |
| 43 | The Killers | Miss Atomic Bomb | Battle Born (2012) |
| 44 | Awolnation | Not Your Fault | Megalithic Symphony (2011) |
| 45 | Green Day | Let Yourself Go | ¡Uno! (2012) |
| 46 | Atlas Genius | Trojans | Non-album Single (2012) [Later on When It Was Now (2013)] |
| 47 | Of Monsters and Men | Mountain Sound | My Head Is an Animal (2012) |
| 48 | Two Door Cinema Club | Sleep Alone | Beacon (2012) |
| 49 | Matt & Kim | Let’s Go | Lightning (2012) |
| 50 | Deadmau5 | Professional Griefers [feat. Gerard Way] | >Album Title Goes Here< (2012) |
| 51 | Three Days Grace | Chalk Outline | Transit of Venus (2012) |
| 52 | Shinedown | Bully | Amaryllis (2012) |
| 53 | Imagine Dragons | Radioactive | Night Visions (2012) |
| 54 | The Lumineers | Stubborn Love | The Lumineers (2012) |
| 55 | Jack White | Love Interruption | Blunderbuss (2012) |
| 56 | Soundgarden | Live to Rise | Avengers Assemble (2012) |
| 57 | The Shins | Simple Song | Port of Morrow (2012) |
| 58 | Tame Impala | Elephant | Lonerism (2012) |
| 59 | Metric | Youth Without Youth | Synthetica (2012) |
| 60 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Monarchy of Roses | I’m with You (2011) |
| 61 | The Used | I Come Alive | Vulnerable (2012) |
| 62 | Cage the Elephant | Aberdeen | Thank You, Happy Birthday (2011) |
| 63 | Switchfoot | Dark Horses | Vice Verses (2011) |
| 64 | Blink-182 | After Midnight | Neighborhoods (2011) |
| 65 | Cold War Kids | Minimum Day | New Norms (2012) |
| 66 | The Maccabees | Pelican | Given to the Wild (2012) |
| 67 | The Hives | Go Right Ahead | Lex Hives (2012) |
| 68 | The Gaslight Anthem | Here Comes My Man | Handwritten (2012) |
| 69 | Twenty One Pilots | Holding On to You | Non-album Single (2012) [Later on Vessel (2013)] |
| 70 | Silversun Pickups | The Pit | Neck of the Woods (2012) |
| 71 | Anberlin | Someone Anyone | Vital (2012) |
| 72 | The Griswolds | Beware the Dog | Non-album Single (2012) [Later on Be Impressive (2014)] |
| 73 | The Joy Formidable | This Ladder Is Ours | Non-album Single (2012) [Later on Wolf’s Law (2013)] |
| 74 | The Features | How It Starts | Wilderness (2011) |
| 75 | The Vaccines | Teenage Icon | Come of Age (2012) |
| 76 | Bad Religion | Fuck You | Non-album Single (2012) [Later on True North (2013)] |
| 77 | The Mowgli’s | I’m Good | Sound the Drum (2012) |
| 78 | The Neighbourhood | Sweater Weather | I’m Sorry… (2012) |
| 79 | Linkin Park | Lost in the Echo | Living Things (2012) |
| 80 | Shinedown | Unity | Amaryllis (2012) |
| 81 | Awolnation | Kill Your Heroes | Megalithic Symphony (2011) |
| 82 | No Doubt | Settle Down | Push and Shove (2012) |
| 83 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Look Around | I’m with You (2011) |
| 84 | Chevelle | Hats Off to the Bull | Hats Off to the Bull (2011) |
| 85 | Seether | Tonight | Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (2011) |
| 86 | Mumford & Sons | Lover of the Light | Babel (2012) |
| 87 | Phillip Phillips | Home | The World from the Side of the Moon (2012) |
| 88 | Ed Sheeran | The A Team | + (2011) |
| 89 | The Lumineers | Stubborn Love | The Lumineers (2012) |
| 90 | Imagine Dragons | Demons | Night Visions (2012) |
| 91 | Phillip Phillips | Gone, Gone, Gone | The World from the Side of the Moon (2012) |
| 92 | Bush | Baby Come Home | The Sea of Memories (2011) |
| 93 | Young the Giant | Cough Syrup | Young the Giant (2010) |
| 94 | Sublime with Rome | Take It or Leave It | Yours Truly (2011) |
| 95 | Naked and Famous | Young Blood | Passive Me, Aggressive You (2010) |
| 96 | Cage the Elephant | Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked | Cage the Elephant (2008) |
| 97 | Sublime with Rome | Panic | Yours Truly (2011) |
| 98 | Mumford & Sons | Roll Away Your Stone | Sigh No More (2009) |
| 99 | Weaving the Fate | Rack City | WTF (2012) |
| 100 | Beck | Looking for a Sign | Non-album Single (2012) |
| 101 | Beck | I Just Started Hating Some People Today | Non-album Single (2012) |
| 102 | Lana Del Rey | Ride | Paradise (2012) |
| 103 | Melanie Martinez | Seven Nation Army | Non-album Single (2012) |
| 104 | Amanda Brown | Stars | Non-album Single (2012) |
| 105 | Volbeat | Still Counting | Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood (2008) |
| 106 | Train | Drive By | California 37 (2012) |
About 2012
In 2012, KROQ’s airwaves erupted with indie anthems from Fun. and The Lumineers, electro-rock from Muse, and hip-hop crossover via Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Expanding to a Top 50, the list captured alt-rock’s vibrant mix, from No Doubt’s ska-punk return to The Black Keys’ gritty blues, dominating festivals and urban clubs. This curated list expands to 106 songs, starting with KROQ’s rankings and adding tracks likely played, sourced from Billboard and other airplay data, ordered by 2012 airplay.